Christmas At The Motherhouse

I thought you might like to get some sense of how we celebrate the beautiful feast of Christmas here at the motherhouse in Aston--both for the sisters who live here and for those of us who come each day for ministry. Actually we begin right after Thanksgiving with our Christmas Outreach. We began this outreach program some years ago and one of our coworkers, Hilary Ross, always coordinated it. Hilary died very suddenly a few years ago and we named our outreach efforts Hilary's Christmas Outreach in her memory. This year we decided to use our donations to help the families in the Brant Beach area of New Jersey who were so badly affected by Hurricane Sandy. Sr. Patricia McNiff ministers in the parish there and we worked through her. She sent us some photos of the destruction and we posted them near our outreach tree. Both our employees and many of the sisters who live at the motherhouse donated to the effort. Each time someone made a donation, they added a ball to the tree.

Our pre-Christmas season also included a prayer service each Wednesday during Advent. Many of our employees and some of the sisters who live here gathered in the main hallway around the Advent wreath. We took turns preparing the service so each week had its own creative flavor and spirit--all of them enriching our Christmas preparation.

Last Friday the employees and residents gathered in our dining room for our annual Christmas luncheon--definitely a delicious meal enhanced with a lot of laughter and fun. Following lunch we all gathered in chapel for prayer and then were "dismissed" early--always a great treat!

One of our main meeting rooms (actually a large room that can be used as a single large room or divided into three smaller areas) is graced with a beautiful tree decorated with multicolored lights. After Mass on Christmas Eve, our guests will gather here for refreshments and socializing.

Our creche is in one of the rooms off of the main corridor--a room that is actually open to the corridor. Right now it is awaiting the arrival of our special guest--the Infant Jesus.

Many of the sisters in the area as well as many of our friends join the sisters at the motherhouse on Christmas Eve for the Christmas liturgy. The choir begins with carols at 7 P.M. Each year the choir's efforts reflect the many hours of rehearsal they put in. Liturgy begins at 7:30 and is always very beautiful. I'm especially looking forward to it this year because I was not able to be here last year (still recuperating in Assisi House at that time). Following liturgy we all gather in the meeting area that I mentioned for refreshments--always delicious--and time to visit!

Christmas day I'll be at my convent in Springfield. One of the sisters I live with will be preparing dinner and we've invited some of the sisters in the area to join us. Right now the count is at eight!